In today's new episode, Michael Schmidt talks about social media and schools (and what that means for employers generally), spousal claims against employers for getting COVID-19 at home, the withdrawal of the independent...more
5/17/2021
/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Employment Policies ,
First Amendment ,
Free Speech ,
Health and Safety ,
Independent Contractors ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Labor Regulations ,
Masks ,
Misclassification ,
New Guidance ,
Preemption ,
Public Schools ,
School Policies ,
Sick Employees ,
Social Media Policy ,
Spouses ,
Students ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
The past several weeks have seen significant action from the major federal agencies involved with employment law: EEOC, NLRB, DOL, and OSHA. In today's new episode, Mike Schmidt will highlight the direction these agencies...more
4/20/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Handbooks ,
Employee Incentive Plans ,
Employee Rights ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
NLRA ,
NLRB ,
OSHA ,
Protected Concerted Activity ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
Evan Armstrong from the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) joins Mike Schmidt to talk about the significant PRO Act that was introduced in Congress and that will dramatically alter labor issues such as the use of...more
2/25/2021
/ Arbitration Agreements ,
Boycotts ,
Employee Rights ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Independent Contractors ,
Joint Employers ,
Labor Reform ,
Mandatory Arbitration ,
Misclassification ,
Quickie Election Rules ,
Secondary Boycott ,
Union Organizers ,
Unions
Today’s episode is the second of Mike Schmidt's two-part conversation with EEOC Commissioner Keith Sonderling (Part 1 released yesterday), who discusses the EEOC’s enforcement priorities, the increase in use of guidance and...more
Today's episode is the first of a two-part conversation with EEOC Commissioner Keith Sonderling, who discusses the EEOC's enforcement priorities, the increase in use of guidance and opinion letters, hot 2021 topics (including...more
In this first new episode of the year, Mike Schmidt address the 21 employment law issues that employers should watch in 2021....more
In today’s new episode, Michael Schmidt is joined by a panel of five partners in Cozen O’Connor’s Labor and Employment Department to discuss the likely impact of a President Biden administration on key labor and employment...more
11/16/2020
/ Biden Administration ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Diversity ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Litigation ,
Employment Policies ,
Federal Contractors ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Gig Economy ,
Health and Safety ,
Independent Contractors ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Labor Regulations ,
Misclassification ,
Relief Measures ,
Reverse Discrimination ,
Vaccinations ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety
In this episode, Mike Schmidt discusses why employers should create complaint policies and procedures for wage and hour issues, and not just for harassment, discrimination, and retaliation concerns.
...more
The EEOC recently updated its Covid-19 guidance (on May 7, 2020) to address such issues as medical screening and testing, required reasonable accommodations, and discrimination/harassment issues. Today's new episode provides...more
5/13/2020
/ Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Anti-Harassment Policies ,
Anti-Retaliation Provisions ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Guidance Update ,
Health and Safety ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Workplace Safety
In today's episode, Mike Schmidt is joined by his Cozen O'Connor colleagues Howard Schweitzer (public strategies/gov't relations) and David Barron (labor and employment) to discuss what the next federal stimulus legislation...more
This is Part 2 of Mike Schmidt's 2-part episode pitting employee/plaintiff-side lawyer Hope Pordy, Esq. against employer/defendant-side lawyer Jeremy Glenn, Esq. to finish debating some interesting HR topics....more
4/17/2020
/ At-Will Employment ,
Code of Conduct ,
Confidential Information ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Exempt-Employees ,
First Amendment ,
Hiring & Firing ,
NLRA ,
Protected Concerted Activity ,
Social Media ,
Unions ,
Work Life Balance ,
Workplace Communication
Mike Schmidt is joined by his Cozen O'Connor colleague, Jennifer Williams, to answer questions relating to employers' WARN Act obligations in this current Coronavirus period....more
Mike Schmidt is joined by Michele Miller (Chair of Cozen O'Connor's West Coast Labor and Employment Group) to discuss how California is addressing Coronavirus issues for employers. Mike and Michele also discuss the status of...more
In Part 2 of 2 of this Employment Law Now episode, Mike Schmidt rebroadcasts the audio of Cozen O'Connor's 90-minute webinar in its entirety, entitled "Coronavirus and the Workplace." The discussion addresses the current...more
This special weekend episode (Part 1 of 2) summarizes brand new emergency legislation that passed the U.S. House of Representatives over the weekend that will provide immediate changes to the FMLA and paid sick leave laws for...more
3/15/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
New Guidance ,
New Legislation ,
OSHA ,
Paid Time Off (PTO) ,
Public Health ,
Sick Leave ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety
Podcast host Michael Schmidt is joined by Dan Johns, a partner in Cozen O'Connor's Labor and Employment Department, to talk about 3 significant NLRB decisions affecting all employers in the areas of (1) employee use of...more
2/13/2020
/ Confidentiality Policies ,
Electronic Communications ,
Email ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
NLRA ,
NLRB ,
Union Dues ,
Union Organizers ,
Unions ,
Workplace Investigations
For my 3rd anniversary special episode, I am joined once again by Howard Schweitzer to talk all things Trump and politics, and the current and future impact on business and employers....more
In this first new episode of 2020 (Season 4), we look at the 15 hot topics your company should have on your list to think about....more
1/10/2020
/ #MeToo ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Rights ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Litigation ,
Employment Policies ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
Independent Contractors ,
Labor Regulations ,
Labor Relations ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Local Ordinance ,
Minimum Salary ,
Misclassification ,
Over-Time ,
Paid Leave ,
Pay Equity Laws ,
Quickie Election Rules ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Sexual Harassment ,
State Labor Laws ,
Union Elections ,
Unions ,
Unpaid Leave ,
Wage and Hour ,
White-Collar Exemptions
Host Michael Schmidt is joined by Rebecca Nathanson, the Director of the Anti-Retaliation Unit and Counsel to Labor Standards at the New York Department of Labor to discuss issues ranging from the Department’s investigation...more
In today's episode, Debbie Friedman (partner at Cozen O'Connor) joins the podcast to talk about the issues that employers should consider with their employee handbooks....more
This episode offers the top 10 new employment laws coming out of New York in the first half of 2019. It is significant for New York employers AND for those employers wondering what trends will be reaching their other...more
7/29/2019
/ Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Anti-Harassment Policies ,
Breastfeeding ,
Drug Testing ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Litigation ,
Employment Policies ,
Equal Pay ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Hostile Environment ,
Human Rights ,
Lactation Accommodation ,
Local Ordinance ,
Mayor de Blasio ,
New Legislation ,
Sexual Harassment ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
This episode looks at recent employment law developments that may make you go “hmmm”: a 4-day workweek, outright bans on mandatory arbitration and office gossip, hairstyle as a protected characteristic, and an update on the...more
3/1/2019
/ Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Anti-Harassment Policies ,
Arbitration ,
Class Action Arbitration Waivers ,
Confidentiality Agreements ,
Dress Codes ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Employment Policies ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Hostile Environment ,
Mandatory Arbitration ,
New Rules ,
Over-Time ,
Paid Leave ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour ,
Work Schedules
This special Valentine’s Day episode discusses the pros and cons of employers entering into love contracts with its employees....more
2/14/2019
/ Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Anti-Harassment Policies ,
Anti-Retaliation Provisions ,
Best Management Practices ,
Co-Workers ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Employment Policies ,
Love Contracts ,
Risk Mitigation ,
Sexual Harassment ,
Supervisors ,
Workplace Romances
This episode presents Part 2 of 2 on workplace issues when employees use marijuana, and also discusses two significant developments from the NLRB involving independent contractors and individual employee gripes....more
1/31/2019
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Delivery Drivers ,
Drug Possession ,
Drug Testing ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Entrepreneurs ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Independent Contractors ,
Marijuana ,
Medical Marijuana ,
Misclassification ,
NLRA ,
NLRB ,
Protected Concerted Activity ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Right to Control